[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 464 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 464

To authorize Members of Congress to bring an action for declaratory and 
 injunctive relief in response to a written statement by the President 
 or any other official in the executive branch directing officials of 
        the executive branch to not enforce a provision of law.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 22, 2015

    Mr. Poe of Texas (for himself, Mr. Farenthold, and Mr. Ribble) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize Members of Congress to bring an action for declaratory and 
 injunctive relief in response to a written statement by the President 
 or any other official in the executive branch directing officials of 
        the executive branch to not enforce a provision of law.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Constitutional Check and Balance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING CAUSE OF ACTION BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN RESPONSE 
              TO WRITTEN STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OR OTHER EXECUTIVE 
              BRANCH OFFICIAL DIRECTING EXECUTIVE BRANCH OFFICIALS TO 
              NOT ENFORCE A LAW.

    (a) Cause of Action Authorized.--If the President or any other 
official in the executive branch issues a memorandum or other written 
statement directing any official in the executive branch to not enforce 
a provision of law, a Member of Congress who meets the criteria 
described in subsection (b) may bring an action for declaratory or 
injunctive relief in an appropriate United States district court to 
compel such official to enforce that provision of law.
    (b) Criteria for Eligibility.--A Member of Congress meets the 
criteria described in this subsection with respect to a provision of 
law if the Member cast a recorded vote on final passage of the version 
of the bill or joint resolution which was enacted into law and included 
that provision.
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